Elderly patient with delirium after myocardial infarction

Delirium is a transient global disorder of cognition. Almost any medical illness or medication can cause delirium. Here, we report a 71-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with a sudden change in mental status, which later resolved. An electrocardiogram was consistent with acute...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the National Medical Association 2006-04, Vol.98 (4), p.648-650
Main Authors: Halil, Meltem, Cankurtaran, Eylem Sahin, Ozkayar, Nihal, Cankurtaran, Mustafa, Ulger, Zekeriya, Yavuz, Burcu Balam, Shorbagi, Ali, Ariogul, Servet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Antipsychotic Agents - therapeutic use
Benzodiazepines - therapeutic use
Delirium - drug therapy
Delirium - etiology
Humans
Hypotension
Male
Myocardial Infarction - complications
Risperidone - therapeutic use
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Summary:Delirium is a transient global disorder of cognition. Almost any medical illness or medication can cause delirium. Here, we report a 71-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with a sudden change in mental status, which later resolved. An electrocardiogram was consistent with acute myocardial infarction. The patient later developed symptoms of delirium, and haloperidol was administered. The symptoms did not resolve, and risperidone was initiated instead. The patient subsequently became hypotensive, and treatment was again changed to olanzapine. He returned to full consciousness with olanzapine treatment. When the potential hypotensive effects of haloperidol and risperidone are taken into consideration, in patients with high cardiac risk, olanzapine may provide a better option for the treatment of delirium.
ISSN:0027-9684
1943-4693